• Moderators, please send me a PM if you are unable to access mod permissions. Thanks, Habsy.

Around the League 2019-2024 Edition

I had a working theory coming out of the Four Nations break that the Caps' insane teamwide hot streak would get interrupted and disrupted and regression would kick in hard.

And then they came out of the break and smashed the pens and oilers by a combined score of 15-6, so it turns out i'm pretty dumb.

But now, suddenly, the caps have lost 3 games in a row for the first time all year, all in regulation to boot, and it turns out i may be a genius after all.

Would be nice if they stumbled even a little bit to give us a chance to catch them. I still have no actual belief that that team is anywhere near as good as their record.

At the same time I'm not sure i have much faith in the Leafs avoiding any stumbles the rest of the way either - and any stumble would put top spot out of reach no matter what the caps do i think.

With Boston falling off this year, getting 1st place is even more important than it has been in most recent years. FLA and TBL both look very tough still but there's a steep drop off to the wildcard spots.
 
zeke said:
I had a working theory coming out of the Four Nations break that the Caps' insane teamwide hot streak would get interrupted and disrupted and regression would kick in hard.

And then they came out of the break and smashed the pens and oilers by a combined score of 15-6, so it turns out i'm pretty dumb.

But now, suddenly, the caps have lost 3 games in a row for the first time all year, all in regulation to boot, and it turns out i may be a genius after all.

Would be nice if they stumbled even a little bit to give us a chance to catch them. I still have no actual belief that that team is anywhere near as good as their record.

At the same time I'm not sure i have much faith in the Leafs avoiding any stumbles the rest of the way either - and any stumble would put top spot out of reach no matter what the caps do i think.

With Boston falling off this year, getting 1st place is even more important than it has been in most recent years. FLA and TBL both look very tough still but there's a steep drop off to the wildcard spots.
Click to expand...
That read like an AI Zeke post.
 
tumblr_oypkzkQ5Ia1we0p6lo1_400.gif
 
-white knighting for John Tavares
-harveys chicken sandwiches are elevated dining
-scouted and developed knies. Considers him a son and has had a large role in his success (which has not even been fully realized)
-Tavares is the Messiah. He can do no wrong.
-practicing entertainment lawyer in LA
-plays ball hockey with a habs fan that berates him about the leafs.
-only attracted to clean (Arian) women
-has a condo with an occasional ticking noise that has driven him insane.
-John Tavares
 
"The Ticking Messiah"

It was a quiet Tuesday evening in downtown Los Angeles when LOF, a practicing entertainment lawyer by trade, found himself in an odd situation—again. The ticking from his condo was louder tonight. He had no idea where it came from, but it gnawed at his sanity with an intensity he could no longer ignore. Tick. Tick. Tick. It had been there for weeks, like a malicious metronome counting down to something ominous, something he wasn’t ready for.

But at that moment, there was something else on his mind: John Tavares.

LOF had seen something in Tavares from the moment the young Canadian star first laced up his skates for the Leafs. He wasn’t just a player; he was a godsend. He was the Messiah, the savior of all things hockey in Toronto, and to LOF, he could do no wrong. There was something about the captain’s quiet leadership that resonated with him, a presence so strong that it shone through even when things weren’t going well for the Leafs.

LOF had made it his mission to protect Tavares, to shield him from the trash talk, the criticisms, and the haters who would have torn him down. He white-knighted for Tavares on social media, in boardrooms, and, most often, at bars with his buddies, defending the Leafs' leader with a fervor that bordered on obsession.

And yet, it wasn’t just about John. It was about the team. LOF had been the one to discover the raw potential in a young, scrappy winger named Matthew Knies. It had started as a fluke—a game he watched in a small rink up north. He saw something in Knies that no one else did, an energy, a fire that the scouts missed. LOF pulled strings, made calls, and soon, the kid was on his way to the big league.

Now, Knies was a budding star, and LOF couldn't help but feel a certain paternal pride every time he saw the kid succeed. He thought of Knies like a son, not just a client, and had played a large role in his development, even if Knies hadn’t reached his peak yet. There was so much more to come from the kid, and LOF knew it. He just had to keep him on the right track, away from distractions, away from the noise.

"You're gonna make it big, kid," LOF would say to Knies, even when things got rough. "Just keep your head down. Listen to the right people. Don’t let the media tear you apart."

But the ticking—oh, that relentless, maddening ticking—wasn't just confined to his condo. It was everywhere, taunting him, reminding him of a world that never stopped moving, no matter how much he wanted to escape.

The one place where he did manage to forget it for a few hours was on the ball hockey court, which, tonight, would be graced by none other than Mike, the loudest Habs fan LOF knew. Mike wasn’t content to just mock LOF’s Leafs fandom; no, he’d go on tirades, berating him about the team, calling Tavares overrated, mocking their playoff performance.

“You guys can’t even win with the Messiah, huh? Guess he’s not that good, is he?” Mike would taunt, wearing his Canadiens jersey like a badge of honor, swinging his stick like he was the one saving hockey in Montreal.

LOF would take the insults, biting his lip to keep from getting into a shouting match. He was better than that, right? John Tavares didn’t need him to fight every battle. But the hatred still burned.

At the same time, LOF had a more personal, private matter gnawing at him. His tastes had always been specific—very specific. He didn’t care much for women who didn’t meet his exacting standards. Clean, Aryan features were his thing—blonde hair, light eyes, flawless skin. Anything else simply didn’t appeal. He knew it was shallow, but it was a quirk he couldn’t shake. And when he met someone who fit the mold, the world felt just a little bit more aligned.

But none of it could ease the frustration of that damn ticking. He’d tried to ignore it, tried to tell himself it was just the pipes, the house settling. But no matter how hard he tried, it only got louder. Tick. Tick. Tick.

LOF’s thoughts shifted, as they often did, back to Tavares. The guy was perfect. He couldn’t fathom how anyone could criticize him, let alone doubt his role as the savior of the franchise. LOF had seen the internal struggles, the pressure on Tavares’s shoulders, the way he carried the Leafs through thick and thin. Tavares was the light in the darkness, the calm in the chaos.

That was why LOF couldn’t stop himself from defending him, not just online but in real life. It was more than loyalty—it was reverence. Tavares had lifted the franchise, and LOF had been there every step of the way, pulling the strings behind the scenes, helping him rise.

He was with Tavares before the world knew who he was, before he wore the “C” on his chest. He knew Tavares’s potential before anyone else could see it. And when Tavares made mistakes, LOF was there to defend him, to shield him from the media storm that always seemed to follow the captain around.

He finally couldn’t take it anymore. The ticking, the ball hockey taunts, the pressure—it all came crashing down on him. He grabbed his phone and opened the group chat, typing furiously.

“I don’t care what any of you say. John Tavares is the Messiah. And if you can’t see that, you’re blind.”

He hit send and leaned back, feeling a momentary peace.

The ticking, though, didn’t stop.

It never did.

The Messiah was always just out of reach, and LOF’s obsession with defending him would never let him rest.

The world wasn’t perfect, but it was the world he chose. And in his world, Tavares could do no wrong.
 
fergy57 said:
-white knighting for John Tavares
-harveys chicken sandwiches are elevated dining
-scouted and developed knies. Considers him a son and has had a large role in his success (which has not even been fully realized)
-Tavares is the Messiah. He can do no wrong.
-practicing entertainment lawyer in LA
-plays ball hockey with a habs fan that berates him about the leafs.
-only attracted to clean (Arian) women
-has a condo with an occasional ticking noise that has driven him insane.
-John Tavares
Click to expand...
Car frequently keyed
 
Deckie007 said:
"The Ticking Messiah"

It was a quiet Tuesday evening in downtown Los Angeles when LOF, a practicing entertainment lawyer by trade, found himself in an odd situation—again. The ticking from his condo was louder tonight. He had no idea where it came from, but it gnawed at his sanity with an intensity he could no longer ignore. Tick. Tick. Tick. It had been there for weeks, like a malicious metronome counting down to something ominous, something he wasn’t ready for.

But at that moment, there was something else on his mind: John Tavares.

LOF had seen something in Tavares from the moment the young Canadian star first laced up his skates for the Leafs. He wasn’t just a player; he was a godsend. He was the Messiah, the savior of all things hockey in Toronto, and to LOF, he could do no wrong. There was something about the captain’s quiet leadership that resonated with him, a presence so strong that it shone through even when things weren’t going well for the Leafs.

LOF had made it his mission to protect Tavares, to shield him from the trash talk, the criticisms, and the haters who would have torn him down. He white-knighted for Tavares on social media, in boardrooms, and, most often, at bars with his buddies, defending the Leafs' leader with a fervor that bordered on obsession.

And yet, it wasn’t just about John. It was about the team. LOF had been the one to discover the raw potential in a young, scrappy winger named Matthew Knies. It had started as a fluke—a game he watched in a small rink up north. He saw something in Knies that no one else did, an energy, a fire that the scouts missed. LOF pulled strings, made calls, and soon, the kid was on his way to the big league.

Now, Knies was a budding star, and LOF couldn't help but feel a certain paternal pride every time he saw the kid succeed. He thought of Knies like a son, not just a client, and had played a large role in his development, even if Knies hadn’t reached his peak yet. There was so much more to come from the kid, and LOF knew it. He just had to keep him on the right track, away from distractions, away from the noise.

"You're gonna make it big, kid," LOF would say to Knies, even when things got rough. "Just keep your head down. Listen to the right people. Don’t let the media tear you apart."

But the ticking—oh, that relentless, maddening ticking—wasn't just confined to his condo. It was everywhere, taunting him, reminding him of a world that never stopped moving, no matter how much he wanted to escape.

The one place where he did manage to forget it for a few hours was on the ball hockey court, which, tonight, would be graced by none other than Mike, the loudest Habs fan LOF knew. Mike wasn’t content to just mock LOF’s Leafs fandom; no, he’d go on tirades, berating him about the team, calling Tavares overrated, mocking their playoff performance.

“You guys can’t even win with the Messiah, huh? Guess he’s not that good, is he?” Mike would taunt, wearing his Canadiens jersey like a badge of honor, swinging his stick like he was the one saving hockey in Montreal.

LOF would take the insults, biting his lip to keep from getting into a shouting match. He was better than that, right? John Tavares didn’t need him to fight every battle. But the hatred still burned.

At the same time, LOF had a more personal, private matter gnawing at him. His tastes had always been specific—very specific. He didn’t care much for women who didn’t meet his exacting standards. Clean, Aryan features were his thing—blonde hair, light eyes, flawless skin. Anything else simply didn’t appeal. He knew it was shallow, but it was a quirk he couldn’t shake. And when he met someone who fit the mold, the world felt just a little bit more aligned.

But none of it could ease the frustration of that damn ticking. He’d tried to ignore it, tried to tell himself it was just the pipes, the house settling. But no matter how hard he tried, it only got louder. Tick. Tick. Tick.

LOF’s thoughts shifted, as they often did, back to Tavares. The guy was perfect. He couldn’t fathom how anyone could criticize him, let alone doubt his role as the savior of the franchise. LOF had seen the internal struggles, the pressure on Tavares’s shoulders, the way he carried the Leafs through thick and thin. Tavares was the light in the darkness, the calm in the chaos.

That was why LOF couldn’t stop himself from defending him, not just online but in real life. It was more than loyalty—it was reverence. Tavares had lifted the franchise, and LOF had been there every step of the way, pulling the strings behind the scenes, helping him rise.

He was with Tavares before the world knew who he was, before he wore the “C” on his chest. He knew Tavares’s potential before anyone else could see it. And when Tavares made mistakes, LOF was there to defend him, to shield him from the media storm that always seemed to follow the captain around.

He finally couldn’t take it anymore. The ticking, the ball hockey taunts, the pressure—it all came crashing down on him. He grabbed his phone and opened the group chat, typing furiously.

“I don’t care what any of you say. John Tavares is the Messiah. And if you can’t see that, you’re blind.”

He hit send and leaned back, feeling a momentary peace.

The ticking, though, didn’t stop.

It never did.

The Messiah was always just out of reach, and LOF’s obsession with defending him would never let him rest.

The world wasn’t perfect, but it was the world he chose. And in his world, Tavares could do no wrong.
Click to expand...
TLDR
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top